Autopsy results in, Corallville boy’s death a homicide

Authorities say the death of a 2-year-old Coralville boy is being treated as a homicide. An autopsy report shows Seth Kehoe died from “sharp force injuries to the neck.”

The boy’s mother and 7-year-old brother were hospitalized with serious injuries after all three of them were found in a wooded area near Littleton Monday morning. The mother had reported the children were in danger. No arrests have been made.

The developments prompted Iowa City police Sergeant Troy Kelsay to review a case from December involving the family. In that incident, Michelle Kehoe drove the family’s van into the Iowa River. She and the boys were rescued.

“There wasn’t anything in any of the evidence or any statements by anybody that had direct knowledge or contact with Michelle Kehoe, to indicate that it was anything other than what she described – and that was an accident,” Kelsay said. “She was distracted by her children, left the road and traveled a short distance into the river.”

Police and doctors questioned Kehoe after the incident, but Kelsay says there was no indication that Kehoe was trying to harm her self or others. “It was a witnessed event,” Kelsay said. “She interacted with bystanders, rescuers, police, fire personnel, emergency medical staff and doctors at a local hospital…police also had contact with her husband.”

Michelle and Sean Kehoe both had surgery Monday, but their conditions and information about how they were injured are not being released.